Rotary blower.



R. A. ILG.

ROTARY BLOWER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. 1912.

Patented Dec. '7, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

R. A. ILG.

ROTARY BLOWER.

2. Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

2 SHE ROBERT A. ILG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ROTARY nnownn.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

Application filed June 10, 1912. Serial N 0. 702,779.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ROBERT A. ILG, a citizen of the United States,residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Blowers, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary blowers or fans of the direct driventype; that is, of that type wherein the fan wheel or rotor is directlymounted on the inner end of the armature shaft of an electric motor,which latter is rigidly secured to a side wall of the blower casing andprojects partially within the latter, so that one side of the rotary fanor rotor overhangs that portion of the motor which lies inside the sidewall to which it is attached. V

Among the salient objects of the invention are, to provide aconstruction wherein the motor may, with facility, be applied to eitherside of the casing, without necessitating the reversing or turning aboutof the fan wheel or rotor,or, in other words, to provide a constructionemploying duplicate openings in the two side walls of the casing, eitherof which may accommodate the motor while the other serves as a suctionopening, to provide an improved closure for the opening on that side ofthe casing to which the motor is attached, which closure, together withthe motor, shall be applicable with equal facility to either of the twoside wall openings, to provide a new and improved construction of motorcasing readily lending itself to the accomplishment of the above-statedobjects, to provide a new and improved construction of fan-wheel orrotor that shall combine lightness with a high degree of strength andrigidity and facility for cooperation with the motor when the latter isapplied to either side of the casing, and, generally, to simplify andimprove the structure and organization of rotary blowers of the generaltype specified. These and other minor objects and advantages I secure bythe construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whichrepresents an approved mechanical embodiment of the several features ofmy invention, and in which Figure 1 is a side elevational view of myimproved blower with the motor attached thereto. Fig. 2 is anelevational view from the discharge end of the motor casing. Figs. 3, 4,5 and -6 are diagrammatic side. elevational views illustrating fourdifferent positions 11). WlllCll the motor casing may be -mounted todirect the discharge in as many different directions, by simplyattaching the supporting feet to different positions around the marginalportion of the motor casing. F 1g. 7 is a detail elevational view of abowlshaped closure for the opening in the side wall of the casing towhich the motor is applled. Fig. 8 is an enlarged vertical axial sectionthrough the blower. Figs. 9 and 10 are opposite side elevations of themotor casing, with the motor and rotor removed, more particularlyillustrating the applicability of the motor to either side of the casingand the means for shifting the angular position of the casing withoutshifting the motor around its own axis. Fig. 11 is a fragmentary detailin cross-section through the means for attaching the motor and closureto the side wall of the casing.

The casing of my improved motor is of the usual snail shell form, andcomprises parallel side plates 1 and a rimQ. The side plates 1 are ofrelatively thick cast metal and are formed with outer marginal flanges 3to which the margins of the thinner rim member 2 are secured by machinescrews 4. In the side walls 1 are formed duplicate openings 5, theportions of the margin immediately surrounding said openings being ofincreased thickness to form annular bosses 6. As best shown in Figs. 9and 10, these bosses are provided with a number of equally spaced tappedholes 7, eight of said holes being herein shown spaced 45 apart.

8 designates as an entirety an electrical motor, to the inner end of thearmature shaft 9 of which is keyed the hub of the rotor, hereinaftermore particularly described.

10 designates a bowl-shaped closure for the opening to which the motoris applied. This closure member has a marginal flange 11 that isprovided with a plurality of clearance holes 12 corresponding in numberand spacing with the tapped holes 7 of the bosses 6; and the flange ofthis closure is secured to one of said bosses, with its concavo-conveXbody portion projecting inwardly of the casing, by machine screws 13that pass through the clearance holes 12 and screw into the tapped holes7 The body portion of the closure 10 has a central aperture 14 throughwhich the armature shaft 9 extends with a slight clearance.

The motor 8 is rigidly secured in place by means of a ring or collar 15that snugly fits the shell of the motor, as clearly'shown in Fig. 8, andis, in turn, strongly secured to the side wall of the motor casing byangle brackets 16 (Fig. 11), one wing of each of said angle bracketsbeing secured to the ring 15 by a machine screw 17, and the other wingof said angle bracket being secured to the boss 6 by a machine screw 18that passes through one of the clearance holes 12 in the flange of theclosure member and lsacrews into one of the tapped holes 7 of the oss.

It is frequently desirable to equip the suction opening in the side wallof the casing opposite the motor with a suitable guard, such as ascreen, to prevent the accidental indraft of foreign substances thatmight break or injure the rotor. Where such a guard is employed for theblower herein described, I provide an annular collar 19 of angle form incross-section, one wing of which is suitably apertured to receivemachine screws 20 by which the same may be attached to the boss 6 on theside wall of the blower casing opposite the motor, While the other wingis adapted to receive a ring 21 secured thereon by set screws 22 andcarrying a screen 23.

From the foregoing it will be readily observed that the motor and itsclosure member are readily interchangeable with the screen and itssupporting collar by simply removing the said parts from the supportingbosses of the side walls of the casing to which-they are attached by themachine screws 13, 18 and 20, and transposing them. It will also beobserved that the blower casing can be shifted, in the constructionshown, to any of eight different angular positions, relatively to thedirection of the discharge, without requiring any corresponding angularshift of the motor, by simply removing' the screws 13 and 18, turningthe casing to the desired position, and then replacing the screws 13 and18 in such of the tapped holes 7 as then register with the clearanceholes carrying the screws 13 and 18. To support the casing in thesevarious positions (four of which are illustrated in thediagrammaticviews, Figs. 3, 4, 5 and 6), I employ on each side of thecasing a pair of supporting feet, which conveniently consist of castmetal brackets, each comprising a curved body portion 24, a flat upperattaching portion 25, and a horizontal flat sole portion 26. Theattaching members 25 are provided with holes to receive machine screws27 which may engage suitably positioned tapped holes in the side walls 1of the casing, just inwardly of the flanges 3, and the sole portions 26are preferably apertured or slotted, as indicated at 28, to accommodatescrews 29 for attachment of the feet to the floor. The curved shankportions 24 enable the feet to be secured direct tothe side walls of thecasing and at the same time clear the flanges 3 of the latter. Figs. 3,4, 5 and 6 illustrate the applicability of these supporting feet todifferent positions around the perimeter of the casing, so as to enablethe discharge of the blower to be directed upwardly, downwardly,horizontally to either side, or in directions intermediate of thesepositions. WVhere these blowers are made to order on specificationssubmitted, which is quite extensively done in commercial practice, thedesired direction of discharge is usually stated; and, that given, it isa simple matter to tap the side walls for the screws of the supportingfeet at the proper positions to support the casing with the desireddirection of discharge.

My improved fan-wheel or rotor is of that general type which employs aseries of relatively narrow substantially fiat fan blades 30 connectedto and between a pair of parallel side rings 31, said parts beingsuitably connected by spokes to a central hub. In my present improvedconstruction I employ a central hub 32, the bore of which extends fromend to end or entirely therethrough, so that said hub may be entered onthe armature shaft 9 from either end and secured thereon by set screws33. Integral with said hub are a series of radially disposed stub spokes34 of rectangular cross-section, to

which are bolted the main spokes 35, these latter consisting ofalternately arranged oppositely curved angle irons, the outer ends ofwhich are turned outwardly into a vertical plane and are attached byrivets 36 to the side rings 31 and, preferably, also to the inwardlybent overlapping ends of the blades 30. This provides an exceedinglystrong, rigid, and yet light construction of rotor, and one wherein thespokespresent a minimum of interference with the in-flowing current ofair from the suction opening.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the described blowerefl'ectuates the several stated purposes or objects of the invention.The duplicateopenings in the side walls provided with attaching bossesformed with duplicate uniformly spaced tapped holes not only enable themotor and the suction opening to be interchangeably employed on eitherside of the casing, but also cooperate with the supporting feet inenabling the casing to be mounted with any desired direction ofdischarge of the air current without disturbing the fixed position ofthe motor. The closure member on the motor side of the casing preventsthe intake of air around the motor and, of course, confines the suctioneffect to the opposite side,.and the described symmetrical constructionof fanwheel or rotor also enables the motor tob'e applied on either sidewithout requiring any change of position of the fan-wheel.

It will be manifest to those skilled in the art that detail changes andmodifications might be made in the structure illustrated withoutdeparting from the essential character of the invention or sacrificingany of the benefits and advantages secured thereby. Hence I do not limitthe invention to the exact construction shown and described except tothe extent clearly indicated in specific claims.

I claim 1-. In a rotary blower, the combination with a casing having anopening in its side Wall, of a bowl-shaped closure having a centrallyapertured body portion projecting within said opening and an outermarginal flange secured to the marginal portion of .said opening, amotor-supporting ring detachably secured to the outer face of saidflanges, an electric motor supported substantially centrally thereof bysaid ring with its inner end entering the concave side of said closureand its armature shaft extending through the aperture thereof, and arotor mounted 'on the inner end of said armature shaft.

2. In a rotary blower, the combination with a'casing having an openingin its side wall, of a centrally apertured bowl-shaped closure having amarginal flange, a motorsupport secured to said flange, a motor rigidlymountedin' said motor-support and having its armature shaft passedthrough the aperture in said closure, and means for securing said flangeto the marginal portion of said opening permitting adjustment of saidcasing around the axis of said opening, whereby the direction ofdischarge of the motor casing may be varied without shifting said motoraround its axis.

3. In a rotary blower, the combination with a casing having an openingin its side wall surrounded by a marginal bo'ss formed with a pluralityof uniformly spaced tapped holes, of a bowl-shaped, closure having acentrally apertured body portion projecting within said opening and amarginal flange overlying said boss and provided with equally spacedclearance holes adapted to register with the tapped holes of said bossin various relative positions of said casing and closure around the axisof said opening, machine screws uniting said flange to said boss, amotor-supporting ring detachably secured to said flange, an electricmotor carried by aid ring with its inner end entering the concave sideof said closure and its armature shaft extending through the aperturethereof, and a rotor fast on the inner end of said armature shaft.

4:. A rotor or fan-wheel for rotary blowers comprising a hub member, apair of parallel rings, blades disposed between and at I their endsconnected to said rings, and a series of spokes connected at one end tothe center of said hub member and alternately connected at the other endto said rings.

5. A rotor or fan-wheel for rotary blowers comprising a hub having aseries of integral stub spokes, a pair of parallel rings, bladesdisposed between and at their ends connected to said rings, and mainspokes of angle-iron form connected at one end to said stub spokes andalternately connected 'at the other end to said rings.

ROBERT A. ILG.

Witnesses:

SAMUEL N. POND, EDMUND G. INGERSOLL.

